[07/08/08 - 04:37 PM]Breaking Bad, AMC's Critical and Popular Hit Series Starring Bryan Cranston, Begins Production of Season Two Plus: Bryan Cranston will direct for the second season premiere.

[via press release from AMC]

Breaking Bad, AMC's Critical and Popular Hit Series Starring Bryan Cranston, Begins Production of Season Two

Cranston Serves Double Duty as Director of Episode One

NEW YORK, NY, July 8, 2008 - The cast and crew of AMC's highly acclaimed original drama series Breaking Bad, from Sony Pictures Television, returns to Albuquerque, New Mexico on July 15th to begin production on season two. The second season premiere of Breaking Bad is the first that Emmy-nominated actor Bryan Cranston will direct for the series. His prior directing credits include: the television series Malcolm in the Middle, and the feature Last Chance, a film he wrote and directed that starred his wife, actress Robin Dearden. The 13-episode second season of Breaking Bad is set to debut on AMC in early 2009.

"As we ramp up production for the next season of AMC's original drama series, Breaking Bad, we look forward to returning to the endless visual settings of Albuquerque. Along with the talented artists and crew base that the city offers, it serves as a perfect backdrop for the evolution of Walt White's character," said Vlad Wolynetz, VP of production, series and movies.

The inaugural season of Breaking Bad premiered in January 2008 to overwhelming acclaim from audiences and critics alike. Rolling Stone praised the series by asking, "What more proof do you need that AMC has the best dramas on cable?" Newsday hailed Breaking Bad as a "must-see series" and wrote, "Tony Soprano has nothing on Mr. White?" Added Entertainment Weekly, "Breaking Bad mixes desperation and deviousness to yield a volatile valuable product."

Breaking Bad is a dramatic series that follows protagonist Walt White (Cranston), a chemistry teacher who lives in New Mexico with his wife (Gunn) and teenage son (Mitte) who has cerebral palsy. White is diagnosed with Stage III cancer and given a prognosis of two years left to live. With a new sense of fearlessness based on his medical prognosis, and a desire to gain financial security for his family, White chooses to enter a dangerous world of drugs and crime and ascends to power in this world. The series explores how a fatal diagnosis such as White's releases a typical man from the daily concerns and constraints of normal society and follows his transformation from mild-mannered family man to a kingpin of the drug trade.

Gilligan and Mark Johnson are executive producers for High Bridge Productions, Inc. and Gran Via Productions in association with Sony Pictures Television. AMC's Joel Stillerman, SVP of original programming, production and digital content; Christina Wayne, SVP of scripted series and mini-series; and Vlad Wolynetz, VP of production, series and movies, oversee development and production for the network.

About AMC

AMC is a multi-platform network that celebrates classic movies and high-quality scripted series. Among the elite services available in nearly 93 million homes (Source: Nielsen Media Research), AMC defines what it means to be a classic movie network today, creating a distinctive viewing experience that celebrates all that is enduringly cool, personal and powerfully relevant about movies. AMC's comprehensive library of popular movies strike a meaningful chord with its audience, and its critically-acclaimed slate of originals all have a cinematic quality that allow them to complement and be complemented by some of the best movies of all time. AMC is a subsidiary of Rainbow Media Holdings LLC, which includes sister networks IFC, WE tv and Sundance Channel. AMC is THE FUTURE OF CLASSIC.

Rainbow Media Holdings LLC

Rainbow Media Holdings LLC is a subsidiary of Cablevision Systems Corporation (NYSE: CVC). Rainbow Media is a leading producer of targeted, multi-platform content for global distribution, creating and managing some of the world's most compelling and dynamic entertainment brands, including AMC, IFC, WE tv, Sundance Channel, LIFESKOOL, SPORTSKOOL, and VOOM HD Networks. Through IFC Entertainment, Rainbow Media also owns and manages the following: IFC Films, a leading distribution company for independent film; IFC Productions, a feature film production company that provides financing for select independent film projects; and IFC Center, a three screen, state-of-the-art cinema in the heart of New York's Greenwich Village. Rainbow Media also operates Rainbow Advertising Sales Corporation, its advertising sales company; Rainbow Network Communications, its full service network programming origination and distribution company; and 11 Penn TV, a company that manages Rainbow Media's NYC studios and post-production facilities.

About Sony Pictures Television

Sony Pictures Television is one of the television industry's leading content providers. It produces and distributes programming in every genre, including series, telefilms, theatrical releases and family entertainment for network and cable television, as well as first-run and off-network series for syndication. With more than 25 programs on the air, SPT boasts a program slate that includes the top-rated daytime dramas and game shows, landmark off-network series, original animated series and critically acclaimed primetime dramas, comedies and telefilms. SPT also owns one-half of cable channel GSN and is a partner in FEARnet, the premier horror/thriller website and VOD service. Sony Pictures Television oversees all of Sony Pictures Entertainment's (SPE) domestic digital distribution efforts across all electronically delivered platforms, including the internet and mobile. Sony Pictures Television, advertiser sales, is one of the premiere national advertising sales companies, handling the commercial inventory in SPT syndicated series as well as in all of SPE's digital businesses in the United States, for Sony BMG and for iN DEMAND's high-definition channel Mojo and the Tennis Channel, and is part owner of national media sales company ITN Networks, Inc. SPT (www.sonypicturestelevision.com) is a Sony Pictures Entertainment company.